Cleaning attachment for combs



June 18, 1935.

O. FREDMANN l CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR COMBS Filed Feb. 23, 1934 Patented June 18, 1935 @this STATES PAN? Application February 23, 1934, Serial No. 712,668 In Austria May 5, 1933 6 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for the cleaning of combs, of the particular type in which there are provided vcleaning elements of an elastic nature disposed inthe gaps between the teeth of the comb and connected to sliding members adapted to he moved up and down against the sides of the comb, so that the said cleaning elements can be moved to and fro from the base of the gaps to the tips of the teeth and, if desired, can be removed from the comb entirely after use. ln the known devices of this nature (devices for the same purpose but in which the cleaning elements proper are not made of elastic material being disregarded, since the scope of the invention is limited from the outset as defined above) the cleaning elements consist inivariably of the webs or intervening portions between perforations or apertures in a sheet oi elastic material, for instance in a sheet of rubber. Such perforations or apertures are so spaced as to he engaged by the teeth oi the comb, so that the edges thereof can exert a cleaningl action upon the teeth when the said sheet moved longitudinally of the teeth. New it will he clear that comb-cleaning devices based on this principle are in the rst instance practically limited in their applicability to combs having widely spaced teeth, and must be made to fit exactly the spacing of the teeth of the combs with which they are to be used. Moreover, in consequence of the very great total adhesion between the edges of the perforations or apertures and the sides of the teeth very considerable force isrequired to operate such devices, with the incidental resultl that the cleaning member proper is subject to great wear and is of correspondingly short life.

The procent invention provides a device of the desorption concerned winch affordsY close tting of the cleani C; elements against the sides of the teeth throughout the entire length of the latter, irespective of the taper thereof, and in which all the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent known. types ci' cleaning devices are ohviated. This result is mainly achieved by the arrangement that cleaning elements consist of elastic filaments, for example rubber' threads, which also serve to press the sliding members of the cleaning device against the sides of the comb. In order to reinforce the action of the rubber threads, which may be textilecovered with a View to still further reducing adhesion and Wear, the slides are themselves caused to bear with spring action against the sides of the comb, in a manner to be described in due course.

Three forms of construction embodying the invention are shown, hy way ci example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l. shows the first form of construction of the cleaning device according to the invention, in longitudinal section, in the sseinbled condition with a portion ci a comb.

Fig. 2 shows the cleaning elements in plan View and Fig. 2a shows them in end elevation.

Fig.V 3 shows the two side members oi the cleaning device with the intervening cleaning elements in the form of a fabric, folded out in one plane.

Fig. 4 shows the cleaning fabric, before the introduction of the teeth of the comb, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 shows the second form construction of the device according to the invention, in longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 shows the same in cross-section- Fig. 7 shows the same device housed in protective casing of particular construction.

Fig. 8 shows the third form of construction, in longitudinal section.

Referring to Figs. l to 3, the device for cleaning combs consists in a known manner of a series of elastic cleaning elements i which nt 'severally into the gaps between the teeth of the comb l, and which are connected, in the form shown in Figs. l and 2, to rails or bars 3 adapted to be slid against the sides of the comb i. With the aid of these rails 3, the cleaning elements 2 can all be moved together from the bottom or" the gaps to the tips of the teeth and back again. For the purpose in the first place of limiting the extent oi the movement of the rails or slides 3, and in the second place of permitting of their uniform and simultaneous movement, there are provided in the end teeth or the comb i, guide slots ii engaged by a pin 'ai which connects the slides 3 together. The pins .i permit of the approaching of the slides 3 one towards the other' by being made, for example, of a throated piece of wire which can be readily deformed. This arrangement is shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In accordance with the invention the individual cleaning elements consist of one or more elastic filaments, for threads, which are attached at suitable intervals to the rails 3. The eiective length of the laments vis such that the rails 3 are elastically pressed, more particularly with their upper edge, against the sides of the comb i, at any position example rubber Cil along the teeth of the latter, in consequence of the pull exerted thereon by the filaments 2. During the movement of the rails and cleaning elements in the path of operative movement the connecting pins 5 are altered in shape, according to the variation in the profile of the teeth of the comb.

The approaching of the rails 3 towards each other, and their close bearing against the sides of the comb i can also be brought about, instead of by means of resilient end pins 5, by making the rails 3 themselves resilient, so that they tend of their own accord to fit closely against the sides of the comb, and are then further pressed towards each other by the tension exerted by the elastic filament cleaning elements.

The cleaning device is normally so positioned that the cleaning elements are at the bottom of the gaps between the teeth. For the purposeof cleaning the comb the entire device, comprising side rails 3 and cleaning elements 2, is slid towards the tips of the teeth, the matter accumulated on the inner surfaces of the teeth being thereby scraped olf by the cleaning elements 2, while the matter collecting on the outside surfaces of the comb is simultaneously scraped cfi by the upper edges of the rails 3. In spite of the fact that the teeth are thus effectually scraped on all sides simultaneously, very little effort is required for the operation of the cleaning device, since the frictional resistance between the comb I and the rails S contacting therewith is negligibly slight, and the entire effective resistance is made up of the adhesion between the filaments 2 and the teeth t5 of the comb. In order to eliminate as far as possible this adhesion, and to prolong the life of the otherwise readily worn rubber webs 2, it is advisable to employ rubber threads which are covered with textile or silk threads, or the like.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the elastic filaments or threads constituting the cleaning elements 2 form part of or belong to a fabric of which in this instance they constitute the weft threads 2a, while the warp threads 2b may consist either of elastic or of textile material. The apertures for the passage of the teeth of the comb are formed simply by pressing the latter through the fabric thereby crowding the threads in the gaps, as will be clear from Fig. 3. According to the breadth of the gaps between the teeth of the comb, and to the thickness of the threads used, there will then be either a single elastic thread 2a or a plurality of such threads in each gap, the latter condition being illustrated, by way of example, in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In this case also it has proved advisable to provide the elastic threads 2a, and also the threads 2b if these latter be alsoA made of elastic material, with a covering 2c (Fig. 4) of textile or the like material, for the purpose already described.

The second form of construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 differs from the first form of construction shown in Fig. l only by the fact that the rails 3 are replaced by a channel-shaped casing l of resilient material which embraces the sides of the comb I, and the side portions of which bear with spring action against the sides of the comb and are bridged at the outer edge by the cleaning elements 2. The elastic cleaning elements 2 again draw together the side portions of this casing against the sides of the comb, so that the resilient action of these portions and the tension exerted by the elastic cleaning elements are additive for the purpose of ensuring close contact more particularly of the outer and operative edge of the sides of the casing with the outside surfaces of the comb. In order to facilitate the removal of dirt and refuse from the cleaning elements 2, the comb, together with the cleaning device, can be arranged to be inserted from the side into a protective casing 9 provided with a fastener 8, and having on the inside surface of the inner edge a brush I0. On the insertion of the comb with its cleaner into this casing, the cleaner, which is in the outermost position, is automatically cleaned of any matter still adhering to it. The cleaning of the cleaning elements 2 can also be effected by arranging for the brush lil) to be rotatable in the casing 9, so that the dirt is brushed out laterally from about the cleaning elements 2 While the comb l remains motionless.

More particularly when the comb is to be used for trade purposes (hairdressing) it is advisable to provide the cleaning elements 2, as shown in Fig. 8, in two tiers one above the other, and to insert therebetween some absorbent material Il, such as cotton-wool which can be removed after use.

What I claim is:

l. A cleaning device for attachment to a comb, comprising side members of relatively frictionless material adapted to slide against the side surfaces of the comb, elastic filaments tensioned between the said members substantially at right angles thereto and adapted to engage frictionally between the teeth of the comb, and coupling means between the said members to facilitate the concurrent sliding thereof.

2. A cleaning device for attachment to a comb comprising side members of relatively frictionless material adapted to slide against the side surfaces of the comb, elastic filaments tensioned between the said members substantially at right angles thereto and adapted to engage frictionally between the teeth of the comb, and resilient coupling means between the said members to increase the pressure of these members against the side surfaces of the comb and toy facilitate the concurrent sliding thereof.

3. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 in which at least part of the` said laments are textile covered.

,4. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 2 in which 'the said coupling means consist of throated resilient wire connections between the ends of the said members.

5. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 in which the said coupling means consist of a continuous dorsal web bridging the said members throughout their length, and the said side members are of a breadth substantially equal to the total height of the comb.

6. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 in which the said laments are disposed in at least two tiers with space between them for the ac- 

